1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display panel, an electro-optical apparatus, and methods for manufacturing the same and, more particularly, relates to a display panel having a transflective pixel structure, an electro-optical apparatus, and methods for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Thin film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs) are generally classified into three major types, namely, the transmissive type, the reflective type, and the transflective type. This classification is based on the light sources utilized and the design of the array substrate. Generally, the transmissive TFT-LCD mainly utilizes a backlight as the light source. The pixel electrodes on the TFT array substrate are transparent electrodes for facilitating the transmittance of light from the backlight source. The reflective TFT-LCD mainly employs a front-light or an ambient light (environment light) as the light source. The pixel electrodes on the TFT array substrate are metal electrodes or other reflective electrodes with good reflectivity suitable for reflecting the lights from the front-light source or the ambient light source. On the other hand, the transflective TFT-LCD can be regarded as a structure that integrates both the transmissive TFT-LCD and the reflective TFT-LCD. The transflective TFT-LCD can utilize both a backlight source and a front-light source or an ambient light source simultaneously as the light source to display.
In the conventional transflective multi-domain vertical alignment LCD, the color filter substrate is only disposed with a plurality of alignment protrusions and not with other film layers or devices. Moreover, the alignment protrusions are distributed above the reflective electrode and the transparent electrode on the TFT array substrate. Usually, in the same sub-pixel, a main slit is designed between the reflective electrode and the transparent electrode. That is, a gap is present between the reflective electrode and the transparent electrode, so as to let the reflective electrode and the transparent electrode separating from one another with the goal of tilting the LC molecules, which locate at the edges of the transparent electrode and the reflective electrode, toward the alignment protrusions. It should be illustrated that the entire edge of the transparent electrode and that of the adjacent reflective electrode within the same sub-pixel do not have a connection part, so a gap is present between the transparent electrode and the adjacent reflective electrode. In other words, the shapes of the transparent electrode and the reflective electrode within the same sub-pixel correspond to the shapes of the areas T and R. Thus, a gap is present between the entire edges of the adjacent transparent electrode and the adjacent reflective electrode, and also the entire edges of the reflective electrode and the adjacent transparent electrode. Being disposed between the reflective electrode and the transparent electrode, the main slits can alter the electric field distribution, so as to tilt the LC molecules toward the alignment protrusions for achieving the wide viewing angle effect. Moreover, a connection electrode is also present between the reflective electrode and the transparent electrode within the same sub-pixel. The connection electrode merely shields or locates at a slight part, which is approximately less than 10%, of the main slits to electrically connect the reflective electrode with the transparent electrode. The connection electrode can be of the same electrode material as the reflective electrode or the transparent electrode. At this time, a gap is still present between the reflective electrode and the adjacent transparent electrode within the same sub-pixel. In addition, in two adjacent sub-pixels, a gap or a space is present between the transparent electrode of one sub-pixel and the reflective electrode of another sub-pixel, so that the electrodes aforementioned are separated.
In the transflective multi-domain vertical alignment LCD, the design of the main slits between the reflective electrode and transparent electrode and the alignment protrusions correspondingly disposed above the transparent electrode can alter the electric field in the neighboring LC layer. Thus, the LC molecules are not tilting toward the expected alignment direction. However, the presence of the main slits and the alignment protrusions correspondingly disposed above the transparent electrodes also results in loss in the LCD aperture ratio.